A MiG-29 in the livery typical of Azerbaijani fighters was spotted in the Ukrainian sky with the insignia of the Ukrainian Air Force.
This was reported by The War Zone.
The single-seat fighter jet with a blue-gray-blue camouflage scheme was seen in full combat gear with four R-73 short-range missiles and two R-27 medium-range interceptors.
The appearance of an Azerbaijani aircraft with a Ukrainian roundel on a combat mission suggests a possible intergovernmental agreement to transfer the aircraft or requisition it from the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant for urgent defense needs.
It is known that on the eve of the Russian invasion, the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant was overhauling three Azerbaijani MiG-29s of the 9-13 modification, but after a series of missile strikes on the enterprise, their fate was unknown. It seems that at least some of them were evacuated and put into service in time.
It is worth mentioning that after gaining independence, Azerbaijan did not have a full-fledged fighter component in its armed forces, so in 2006-2007, the country purchased 15 combat and training MiG-29s from Ukraine.
At the same time, Ukraine became the main hub for repair and maintenance of Azerbaijani fighters, where they also received minor avionics modifications.
The alleged transfer of the aircraft by the Azerbaijani government could have taken place against the backdrop of an ongoing diplomatic conflict with Russia, which broke out after a series of detentions, torture and murder of Azerbaijani citizens in Yekaterinburg, as well as the downing of a civilian Azerbaijani airplane.
In response, the Russian propaganda machine launched a campaign calling for preparations for a war against Azerbaijan and calling it inevitable.
Foreign MiG-29s in Ukraine
The Azerbaijani aircraft are not the only foreign MiGs in service with Ukrainian aviators, as 14 aircraft were previously donated by Poland and another 13 by Slovakia as part of military aid. However, not all of them were put into service due to their technical condition and were used as spare parts donors.
The Ukrainian Air Force continues to actively use these fighters in air defense missions in the interior of the country. Also, after partial modernization, at least some of the aircraft are used to launch anti-radar missiles and precision-guided bombs.
Earlier, the President of Ukraine announced plans to train more Ukrainian pilots on additional Mirage 2000 aircraft.
